Scottish Executive

Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how local authorities will have access to background details used to determine whether a landlord is a "fit and proper person" to be registered under the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords.

Malcolm Chisholm: Local authorities will use a variety of information about the way that individual landlords have acted in the past which will be available to them from a number of sources including, for example, people who present as homeless or seek assistance with tenancy problems. The working group that has been established to make recommendations on secondary legislation and guidance in connection with Parts 7 and 8 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 is examining the use of declarations by applicants and the services provided by Disclosure Scotland to obtain and check information on relevant convictions.

Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive who will pay the costs of the appeal system against refusal of registration as a private landlord under the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords.

Malcolm Chisholm: An appeal against a refusal to register will be by summary application to the sheriff court and the normal arrangements for such an application will apply. The parties will require to meet court fees and their own costs including costs of legal representation. The sheriff has the power to make an award of expenses at the conclusion of the case and at intermediate stages if required. In normal circumstances, expenses will follow success and the unsuccessful party will be found liable in the expenses of the successful party. Expenses awarded by the sheriff will normally include court fees and solicitors’ fees. The level of expenses recoverable from the unsuccessful party is, however, restricted by statutory tables.

  Legal aid is available to an applicant under a summary application provided the applicant is an individual and not a company or partnership, and subject to the normal tests for legal aid. Those tests are that the applicant is financially eligible, that the case is plausible and that it would be reasonable to make legal aid available in all the circumstances of the case.

Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords will be self-financing and, if not, what the estimated cost of the scheme will be.

Malcolm Chisholm: We expect local authorities’ running costs for the registration scheme to be covered by the fees for registration. The Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 gives ministers powers to make grants to local authorities in connection with the registration scheme. We expect to consider whether to use those powers to assist with the establishment of the scheme in the light of the recommendations of the working group established to develop the detailed implementation of Parts 7 and 8 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004.

Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost will be of setting up the administrative and IT systems for the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords.

Malcolm Chisholm: The cost of the administrative and IT systems for the registration scheme will depend on the detailed design of the scheme. This is being examined by a working group established to make recommendations on the implementation of Parts 7 and 8 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004. The working group’s objective is to make the system as simple as possible for local authorities and applicants while meeting the requirements of the legislation.

Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding will be allocated to publicise the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords.

Malcolm Chisholm: During the development of the detailed implementation of the registration scheme we will contact a wide range of stakeholders to provide information and to seek views. We have established a website at www.betterrentingscotland.com as part of our current awareness-raising publicity campaign for landlords and tenants and will be providing detailed information about registration on this site as it becomes available. The campaign complements local activity by local authorities. We will consider in due course whether further publicity about the registration scheme is necessary at a national level.

Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what fee is proposed for a landlord to register a property for let under the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords.

Malcolm Chisholm: We have established a working group to make recommendations on secondary legislation and guidance in connection with Parts 7 and 8 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004. This will include recommendations on the use of powers to determine how fees are arrived at.

Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the potential impact on the buy to let market of the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords.

Malcolm Chisholm: We are aware that the buy to let market is sensitive to a range of matters including, in particular, the financial yield from this form of investment as conditions in the housing market change. We are also conscious that the requirement to register under the mandatory registration scheme could become one factor amongst others in landlords’ decisions. We therefore intend to minimise the bureaucracy and fees associated with the scheme, consistent with meeting the statutory requirements and providing local authorities with an effective tool against the worst landlords. Alongside work on the detailed implementation of registration we are examining the likely impact on landlords’ decisions in the light of recent and current research related to the private rented sector and of the emerging options for the implementation of the scheme.

Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications would be in respect of default on a mortgage when an order has been made against a landlord stating that rent is not payable in accordance with the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004.

Malcolm Chisholm: An order or notice under the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 suspending the tenant’s liability for rent will not have any direct effect on the landlord’s other legal liabilities. If the house is a heritable security for a loan and the landlord defaults on the loan payments as a result of the suspension of rent liability or for any other reason, the lender holding the security will normally be entitled to sell the house to recover the debt in terms of the security and the relevant legislation. Most lenders would seek to avoid this situation by discussion with the debtor at an early stage on how to deal with the change in income.

Arts

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it has given to the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts in each of the last five years.

Ms Patricia Ferguson: Neither the Executive nor The Scottish Arts Council has been approached by the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts for assistance.

Care Commission

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote the role of the Care Commission.

Rhona Brankin: Ministers take every suitable opportunity to promote the role of the Care Commission and the regulation of care services.

  The Care Commission’s role and responsibilities are clearly set out in the National Care Standards for care services published by Scottish ministers under, and in support of, the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001.

  It is important that people using services and their carers are aware of the National Care Standards and the work of the Care Commission. The standards explain clearly what the public can expect from a care service and how to raise concerns. The Care Commission is working closely with the Executive to promote greater awareness of its role and of the standards.

  Specific joint actions currently underway or being considered include:

  Briefing local newspaper editors about the standards and the work of the Care Commission;

  Redesigning, reprinting and distributing the general information leaflet about the Standards and the regulatory role of the Care Commission, and

  Research to benchmark the level of awareness of the Standards and the Care Commission.

Education

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that history will be maintained as a core subject in secondary schools.

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that history will be maintained as a core subject in primary schools.

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that the teaching of history, including the life and contribution of Scots at home and abroad, will continue to be a core activity in primary and secondary schools.

Peter Peacock: There is no statutory national curriculum in Scotland. We are actively encouraging schools to adopt flexible and innovative approaches to curriculum design and delivery which will meet the needs and wishes of all pupils. It is up to education authorities to decide what to teach within the parameters of national guidelines.

  On 1 November, I announced a programme of work which aims to create a single, coherent, Scottish curriculum three to 18. The intention is to ensure that, through subject teaching and more cross-subject activity, the broad outcomes we look for from school education are achieved.

Education

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9840 by Mr Frank McAveety on 26 August 2004, which bodies and institutions are taking action in relation to the recommendations of the Committee of Experts on the application of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages as these relate to the Scots language; what initiatives are being taken forward, and how the performance of these initiatives will be measured and assessed by the Executive and its agencies.

Ms Patricia Ferguson: The Executive is working to develop a national languages strategy to provide a framework for action in relation to Scots, as well as other languages. Along with other government departments, we shall report to the Council of Europe in June 2005 on progress to date. In addition to the Executive itself, bodies such as local authorities and cultural and educational public bodies all have a role to play. We particularly welcome initiatives from the Scottish Arts Council and Learning and Teaching Scotland in support of Scots.

Emergency Planning

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the funding allocated to the police in each year since 1999 has been earmarked for enhancing the police’s response to the threat of global terrorism and, if so, what that level of funding has been.

Cathy Jamieson: Special Branch activity is the main component of the Scottish Police Service’s response to terrorism. Special Branches are funded mainly from within police Grant Aided Expenditure, which rose by over 31% between 1999-2000 and 2004-05 and is planned to rise by a further 17% by 2007-08. Information on the costs of Special Branches is not held centrally.

  Particularly since 9/11, the Executive has also provided increased levels of 100% funding for a number of specific activities linked to or complementary to Special Branch working. These include force Counter-Terrorist Security Advisers, units responsible for co-ordinating the response to threats to national security and other covert activities. Given the sensitivity of these activities, it is the Executive’s policy not to comment on the levels of funding made available.

Emergency Planning

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any specific funding will be allocated to the police for enhancing its response to the increased threat from global terrorism.

Cathy Jamieson: Yes. Funding is provided in a number of ways but, given the sensitivity of the activities involved, it is the Executive’s policy not to comment on the levels of such funding made available.

Forestry Commission

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses were built on land owned by the Forestry Commission in each of the last five years.

Lewis Macdonald: Forestry Commission Scotland built one house on the national forest estate in the past five years. This was in Dornoch in 2002. Forestry Commission Scotland does not hold records of houses built after national forest estate land has been sold.

Homelessness

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children are currently registered as homeless, broken down by (a) type of temporary accommodation and (b) local authority area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The table provides the information requested as at 31 March 2004. This is a snapshot showing homeless families with children in temporary accommodation on that date.

  

Local Authority
Total Number of Dependent Children


Local Authority
Hostel
Bed and Breakfast
Other1
Total


Scotland
3,284
215
234
100
3,833


Aberdeen City
3
10
-
-
13


Aberdeenshire
118
20
2
4
144


Angus
23
-
1
-
24


Argyll and Bute
9
9
17
2
37


Clackmannanshire
45
9
4
3
61


Dumfries and Galloway
64
-
4
4
72


Dundee City
113
26
-
-
139


East Ayrshire
12
20
-
-
32


East Dunbartonshire
91
-
11
-
102


East Lothian
56
-
23
-
79


East Renfrewshire
20
-
-
-
20


Edinburgh, City of
285
-
21
-
306


Eilean Siar
2
-
-
-
2


Falkirk
103
-
-
4
107


Fife
204
8
-
-
212


Glasgow City
902
-
67
-
969


Highland
51
5
20
13
89


Inverclyde
90
-
-
-
90


Midlothian
7
-
1
-
8


Moray
59
-
1
-
60


North Ayrshire
108
26
6
-
140


North Lanarkshire
238
-
-
-
238


Orkney
36
-
-
-
36


Perth and Kinross
45
6
3
-
54


Renfrewshire
109
1
20
-
130


Scottish Borders, The
16
-
-
-
16


Shetland
45
-
-
8
53


South Ayrshire
58
18
4
-
80


South Lanarkshire
161
33
29
62
285


Stirling
51
24
-
-
75


West Dunbartonshire
72
-
-
-
72


West Lothian
88
-
-
-
88



  Note: 1. The category "other" includes mainly housing associations and private landlords.

Housing

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any proposals to strengthen legislation regarding planning and houses in multiple occupation to ensure that work carried out to such properties complies with planning and building warrant regulations.

Johann Lamont: Not all houses in multiple occupation (HMO) require planning permission, nor would all changes to a building to meet HMO licensing requirements necessarily need a building warrant.

  Local authorities are encouraged to establish effective co-ordination and systems for sharing information between all the departments which may have an interest in HMO properties. This advice is set out in two documents recently published by the Scottish Executive. Planning Circular 4/2004: Houses in Multiple Occupation: Guidance on the interface between planning control and licensing (Bib number 33931) and Mandatory licensing of houses in Multiple Occupation: Guidance for licensing authorities (Bib. number 34059).

  It would be for each department of the local authority to satisfy themselves that work carried out at any type of property complied with any grants of permission under planning or building legislation or with the requirements for HMO licensing.

  We have no plans to amend planning and building control legislation in so far as it relates specifically to HMO.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hours on average sheriffs presided over (a) small claims and (b) summary cause cases in each year since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: The information requested is not held centrally.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the base year is from which a 2% reduction in reconviction rates in all types of sentences will be achieved by March 2008.

Cathy Jamieson: The base year measure will be the two-year reconviction rate for the cohort of offenders discharged from a custodial sentence or given a non-custodial sentence in the year ending 31 March 2004.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent year is for which figures on reconviction rates are available.

Cathy Jamieson: The most recent data available on two-year reconviction rates relates to the cohort of offenders who were discharged from a custodial sentence or given a non-custodial sentence in calendar year 2000. Provisional figures on the two-year reconviction rates for the April 2001-March 2002 cohort of offenders are expected to be available by the end of this year.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in which years, between now and March 2008, it will collect data on reconviction rates for all types of sentences, in order to be able to monitor the target of reducing reconviction rates for all types of sentences by 2% by March 2008.

Cathy Jamieson: The data available centrally on reconviction rates are derived from information held on the Scottish Offenders Index (SOI). The SOI database is updated annually, incorporating the latest information on convictions recorded by the Scottish Criminal Record Office. For the period to March 2008, figures on two-year reconviction rates will therefore be available for the cohorts of offenders discharged from a custodial sentence or given non-custodial sentence in the years 2003-04 (base year), 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many High Court trial adjournments there have been in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of all High Court trials.

Cathy Jamieson: Central collection of this information has only started from 2004-05.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many sheriff summary and district court cases were disposed within 26 weeks of the date of caution since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of all sheriff summary and district court cases.

Colin Boyd QC: This information is not available from 1999 because there was no target of this nature at that time. There is now a new joint target for Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), the Scottish Police Service and the Scottish Court Service to dispose of 60% of sheriff summary and district court cases within 26 weeks of the date of caution and charge by March 2008.

  A sampling exercise in 2003-04 suggested that around 42% of sheriff summary and district court cases were disposed of within 26 weeks of the date of caution and charge.

  The COPFS is in the process of making changes to its operational database in order to measure future performance against this target.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the base year is from which a 10% reduction in High Court trial adjournments will be achieved by March 2008.

Cathy Jamieson: The base year is the financial year 2004-05.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases have been heard in sheriff courts in each year since 1999 and, of these, how many were solemn cases.

Cathy Jamieson: The number of summary criminal complaints and indictments registered since 1999 is shown in the following table.

  Sheriff Court National Figures

  

 
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04


Summary Complaints Registered
92,752
95,615
101,441
104,960
109,177


Solemn Indictments Registered
4,017
4,445
4,248
4,636
5,050

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £5-£6 million allocated for allowing sheriff courts to deal with increasing numbers of cases and supporting innovative drug and youth courts will be for supporting innovative drug and youth courts.

Cathy Jamieson: Final decisions have yet to be taken on the detailed allocation of resources.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in how many, and what percentage of, sheriff and jury cases, indictments were served for sheriff and jury cases that involve bail within eight months of first appearance on petition in each year since 1999.

Colin Boyd QC: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service does not measure the number of bail indictments served for trial in the sheriff court within eight months of first appearance. Our target is to serve 80% of sheriff court bail indictments within nine months of first appearance. The figures for each of the financial years since 1999 are shown in the table below. The last year saw an increase in performance from 74% to 87% against a background of a 37% increase in the number of indictments served on accused for the sheriff court.

  Sheriff and Jury Indictments Served on Accused Within Nine Months

  

Financial Year
Number of Accused Served With Sheriff Court Indictment
Number of Accused Served With Sheriff Court Indictment Within Nine Months
% Served Within Nine Months


1999-2000
2,243
1,614
72%


2000-01
2,464
1,995
81%


2001-02
2,311
1,667
72%


2002-03
2,236
1,661
74%


2003-04
3,067
2,660
87%

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what percentage of, high court indictments involve bail within (a) nine and (b) 10 months of first appearance on petition.

Colin Boyd QC: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) target for financial year 2003-04 was to serve 80% of High Court bail indictments within nine months of the accused’s first appearance on petition. This target was changed in financial year 2004-05 to serve 100% of High Court bail indictments within 10 months of first appearance.

  The COPFS no longer measures the number of High Court bail indictments served within nine months but the figures available for financial year 2003-04 show that 57% of indictments were served within nine months. 408 High Court bail indictments were served between April and September 2004 and 302 of them (74%) were served within 10 months of first appearance.

  Prior to the passage of the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2004, the Crown has 11 months in which to serve an indictment in bail cases. 100% of bail indictments must therefore be served within 11 months. As a result of the 2004 Act, bail indictments now have to be served within 10 months of first appearance. We therefore set ourselves a new target for financial year 2004-05 to serve 100% of High Court bail indictments within 10 months by 1 January 2005. This was done to ensure that we are in a position to implement the new time limit for cases calling in the High Court after 1 April 2005. Our performance has improved since March and at the most recent month, September 2004, was 83% against this new target. We are on track to meet this commitment early in 2005 and as a consequence to meet the time limits in the 2004 act which will apply from April 2005.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the base year will be for the reduction by 10% of the level of High Court trial diet adjournments by March 2008.

Cathy Jamieson: The base year is the financial year 2004-05.

Local Government Finance

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce a local land valuation tax to generate income for local communities.

Mr Tom McCabe: We have set up an independent review into local government finance, which will examine different forms of local taxation, including Land Value Tax. Once the review committee has completed their work they will make recommendations to the Scottish Executive and we will respond.

Local Government Finance

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government regarding the introduction of a local land valuation tax in Scotland to generate income for local communities.

Mr Tom McCabe: We have had no discussions with Her Majesty’s Government regarding this matter.

Local Government Finance

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has undertaken into the potential benefits of a local land valuation tax.

Mr Tom McCabe: We have set up an independent review into local government finance, which will examine different forms of local taxation, including Land Value Tax. Once the review committee has completed their work they will make recommendations to the Scottish Executive and we will respond.

Marine Environment

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government requesting it to end the testing of military sonar in the waters off Scotland to protect the health and welfare of whales and dolphins.

Lewis Macdonald: The testing of military sonar is a reserved matter which falls within the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence.

  The Scottish Executive is involved in regular liaison meetings with the Ministry of Defence where a range of issues including the use of sonar in waters adjacent to Scotland are discussed.

Police

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of (a) pay and (b) pension increase there has been for each grade of police officer in each year since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: The pay awards made to all grades in the police service since 1999 are as follows:

  

1999
3.6%


2000
3%


2001
3.5%


2002
3%


2003
3%


2004
3%



  During the corresponding period police pensions have increased as follows:

  

1999
3.2%


2000
1.1%


2001
3.3%


2002
1.7%


2003
1.7%


2004
2.8%

Police

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected level is of (a) pay and (b) pension increase for each grade of police officers for each year to 2007-08.

Cathy Jamieson: The additional amounts for police pay and pensions in 2006-07 and 2007-08 taken into account within Building a Better Scotland: Spending Proposals 2005-2008 , announced on 29 September 2004, were as follows:

  

 
2006-07
2007-08


Police Pay
£25 million
£52 million


Police Pensions
£4 million
£17 million



  Notes:

  1. The amounts given show increases compared to currently estimated levels for 2005-06 and were arrived at following consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland. Forecasts were not made separately for different grades of officer.

  2. Police pay is determined annually on the basis of recommendations made by the Police Negotiating Board (PNB) and is amended in line with the median of private sector non-manual pay settlements.

  3. Police pensions are increased in April each year on the same basis as other public sector pensions linked to adjustments for the State Earnings Related Pensions Scheme and Retail Price Index.

Police

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £56 and £109 million allocated in 2006-07 and 2007-08 for pay and pension increases and allowing additional recruitment to offset a peak in officer retirements, referred to in Building a Better Scotland Spending Proposals 2005-2008 will be provided for additional recruitment to offset a peak in officer retirements.

Cathy Jamieson: Additional amounts were included in Building a Better Scotland: Spending Proposals 2005-2008 to enable police forces to fund additional recruitment and also as part of the levelling-up of Grant Aided Expenditure across forces following a recent review of the allocation methodology for police grant aided expenditure. The overall amounts were £4.5 million in 2006-07 and £14.5 million in 2007-08. The amounts specifically for additional recruitment were £1.5 million and £4.5 million respectively but, as a substantial part of the balance will also go towards additional recruitment, the larger figures provide a better measure of the total provided for additional recruitment to offset the peak in officer retirements.

Prison Service

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the spending plans in the Justice section of Building a Better Scotland Spending Proposals 2005-2008 include a commitment to provide 500 additional prisoner places when the focus of the Justice portfolio is to "continue to focus on reducing crime, particularly violent and drug-related crime and reducing reoffending".

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Prison Service is committed to helping prisoners address their offending behaviour. The spending plans include a commitment to provide additional places which will reduce levels of overcrowding in the prison estate and provide fit-for-purpose facilities for SPS staff to work with prisoners with the aim of reducing re-offending.

Public Private Partnerships

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that Renfrewshire Council has varied the scope of its PPP schools contract and whether the new contract represents value for money to the taxpayer, given that the value of the contract remains unchanged for the contractor although the refurbishment programme contained in the original agreement is no longer part of the revised agreement and risk associated with the contract has been transferred from the contractor to the council.

Mr Tom McCabe: The scope of Renfrewshire Council’s schools public private partnerships project is a matter for the council.

  It is the responsibility of the council to demonstrate that their schools PPP project shows value for money at Final Business Case stage. This is one of the conditions of Scottish Executive funding.

Rail Network

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Strategic Rail Authority with regard to the building of a new railway station at the Blindwells New Settlement site in East Lothian.

Nicol Stephen: No discussions have been held with the Strategic Rail Authority regarding the provision of a railway station at the proposed Blindwells New Settlement site in East Lothian.

Rail Network

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Strategic Rail Authority with regard to the upgrading of the railway line adjacent to the Blindwells New Settlement site in East Lothian.

Nicol Stephen: The railway line adjacent to the Blindwells New Settlement site in East Lothian is the east coast main line. Its enhancement is the responsibility of the Strategic Rail Authority. The Scottish Executive is in regular discussion with the Strategic Rail Authority on a wide range of issues, including the east coast main line franchise reletting and their Route Utilisation Strategy for the east coast main line.

Residential Care

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many care homes there were for (a) older people, (b) physically disabled people, (c) adults with mental health problems, (d) adults with learning disabilities and (e) adults in other client groups in (i) 1998-99 and (ii) 1999-2000, broken down by care home sector.

Rhona Brankin: This information was published in Scottish Community Care Statistics 2002 and will be available from the Parliament’s Reference Centre. This information can also be found on the following web address http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00309-00.asp .

  The information you require can be found in the following tables: (a) Tables 1.12 and 1.21; (b) Tables 4.7 and 4.15; (c) Tables 3.5 and 3.13; (d) Tables 2.5 and 2.13, and, (e) Tables 5.5 and 5.10. The first table for each client group gives data on Residential Care Homes and the second gives data on Private Nursing Homes.

  Please note that, up until March 2003, information was not available on which Private Nursing Homes were registered for residents belonging to the various client groups. However, information was collected on the number of residents belonging to the various client groups who were in Private Nursing Homes during the census period.

Residential Care

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many places there were in care homes for (a) older people, (b) physically disabled people, (c) adults with mental health problems, (d) adults with learning disabilities and (e) adults in other client groups in (i) 1998-99 and (ii) 1999-2000, broken down by care home sector.

Rhona Brankin: This information was published in Scottish Community Care Statistics 2002 and will be available from the Parliament’s Reference Centre. This information can also be found on the following web address http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00309-00.asp .

  The information you require can be found in the following tables: (a) Tables 1.12 and 1.21; (b) Tables 4.7 and 4.15; (c) Tables 3.5 and 3.13; (d) Tables 2.5 and 2.13; and, (e) Tables 5.5 and 5.10. The first table for each client group gives data on Residential Care Homes and the second gives data on Private Nursing Homes.

  Please note that, up until March 2003, information was not available on which Private Nursing Homes were registered for residents belonging to the various client groups. However, information was collected on the number of residents belonging to the various client groups who were in Private Nursing Homes during the census period.

Residential Care

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many residents there were in care homes for (a) older people, (b) physically disabled people, (c) adults with mental health problems, (d) adults with learning disabilities and (e) adults in other client groups in (i) 1998-99 and (ii) 1999-2000, broken down by care home sector.

Rhona Brankin: This information was published in Scottish Community Care Statistics 2002 and will be available from the Parliament’s Reference Centre. This information can also be found on the following web address http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00309-00.asp .

  The information you require can be found in the following tables: (a) Tables 1.12 and 1.21; (b) Tables 4.7 and 4.15; (c) Tables 3.5 and 3.13; (d) Tables 2.5 and 2.13; and, (e) Tables 5.5 and 5.10. The first table for each client group gives data on Residential Care Homes and the second gives data on Private Nursing Homes.

  Please note that, up until March 2003, information was not available on which Private Nursing Homes were registered for residents belonging to the various client groups. However, information was collected on the number of residents belonging to the various client groups who were in Private Nursing Homes during the census period.

Roads

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money has been allocated for road improvements to the infrastructure surrounding the Blindwells New Settlement site in East Lothian.

Nicol Stephen: No public money has been allocated by the Scottish Executive for road improvements to the infrastructure surrounding the Blindwells New Settlement site in East Lothian.

Schools

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many school swimming pools there are.

Peter Peacock: Although this information is not held centrally by the Scottish Executive, I understand that  sportscotland estimate that there are 196 school swimming pools.

Scottish Executive Finance

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many commissions it has established in each year since 1999 and what funding was allocated for their establishment.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested is set out in the table:

  

Year Established
Year Abolished (where applicable)
Name of Commission
Funding Allocated in First Financial Year of Establishment


1999
n/a
Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission
£650,000


1999
n/a
Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland
£437,000


2000
2001
Scottish Charity Review Commission
£38,000


2000
n/a
Sustainable Development Commission
Initial funding provided by DEFRA


2001
n/a
The Standards Commission for Scotland
£233,000


2002
n/a
Scottish Commission on the Regulation of Care
£15,480,000


2003
n/a
Scottish Information Commissioner*
£700,000


2003
n/a
The Sentencing Commission for Scotland
£30,000


2004
n/a
Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland*
£450,000


2004
To be wound up May 2005
Cultural Commission
£487,000



  Note: *Responsibility for these bodies rests with the Scottish Parliament.

Scottish Executive Finance

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive from which portfolio any funding for the Efficient Government initiative will come.

Mr Tom McCabe: An Efficient Government Fund totalling £60 million in financial years 2004-05 and 2005-06 has been established to support the Efficient Government initiative. This funding will be made available from the Finance and Public Services portfolio.

Scottish Executive Finance

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, with reference to page 21 of Building a Better Scotland Spending Proposals 2005-2008 , it will publish Table 3.01 in real terms, using 2004-05 as the base year.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested is set out in table 1.02 on pages 10 and 11 in the Justice chapter of the Draft Budget 2005-06 which was published on 15 October.

Scottish Executive Finance

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why, with reference to page 21 of Building a Better Scotland Spending Proposals 2005-2008 , police loan charges are not listed in Table 3.01.

Mr Tom McCabe: Police loan charges represent police grant at 51% in respect of loan charges that police authorities have incurred for borrowing under Section 94 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. These are historical loans which, following the introduction of the prudential regime, will over time diminish and eventually disappear. The classification of these loan charges falls outwith both the Scottish Executive’s DEL (Departmental Expenditure Limits) and AME (Annually Managed Expenditure) and therefore do not form part of the Spending Review. Thus the Spending Review 2004 publication Building a Better Scotland Spending Proposals 2005-2008 does not include police loan charges. The Spending Review 2002 publication, which covered the Executive’s spending proposals for 2003-06, also did not include police loan charges. These charges are excluded from the Budget Bill Supporting Documents for the same reason.

  The Justice Department receives estimates of the likely level of requirement for future years from all police forces, and these are not yet to hand for 2006-07 and 2007-08. We will publish details of these loan charges when they become available.

Sports

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision it has made to honour the achievements of Scotland’s Paralympians.

Ms Patricia Ferguson: The First Minister hosted a reception in Bute House on 7 October to recognise and honour the Scottish athletes who represented Team GB at the 2004 Paralympic Games and to celebrate the achievements of our eight medallists. We were delighted that most of our athletes were available to attend what was a successful and enjoyable evening.

  Prior to then, in the Executive’s debate on a Sporting Scotland on 23 September, my predecessor, Frank McAveety, invited the Parliament to, amongst other things, celebrate the continuing success of Scotland's sportsmen and women including those competing for medals at the Paralympics which were under way in Athens at that time. On that same day the First Minister, during his Question Time, also recognised the fantastic efforts of our Paralympians.

Sports

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many school sports co-ordinators have had disability equality training.

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many school sports co-ordinators have had training in working with children and young people with complex and/or multiple disabilities, such as training in moving and handling and in administration of rectal diazapam.

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are issued to school sports co-ordinators on supporting children and young people with disabilities to participate in physical activities at school.

Ms Patricia Ferguson: I refer the member to the answer to S2W-11314 on 2 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Tourism

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in preparing for the implementation of the tourism network from April 2005.

Ms Patricia Ferguson: Earlier this year, ministers decided that there was a compelling case for change in Scotland’s tourism support arrangements, based on the need to better integrate and focus public sector support on strengthening Scotland’s tourism and related businesses and growing their revenues in support of our shared ambition to grow the sector by 50% by 2015. That decision was based in part on the views of most respondents to the review of area tourist boards (ATBs), who stressed the need for better integration between national tourism strategies and their delivery locally.

  The Executive accordingly commissioned VisitScotland to design and deliver, under the leadership of the Executive, an integrated tourism network by merging the 14 separate ATBs with VisitScotland. A project team involving over 100 people from ATBs, local authorities, COSLA, the STUC, tourism businesses, VisitScotland and the Executive was set up to do this. It has worked hard over the last six months to design an integrated network which will be responsive to the needs of tourism businesses and visitors, and will work closely with key partners including local authorities and the enterprise networks. That design work has been summarised in the Tourism Network Implementation Framework Document, copies of which have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre today (Bib. number 34275). I am very pleased that this important milestone has been achieved on target, although I am conscious of the huge amount of work that is still to be done as the project moves into the implementation phase.

  The priority of the staff in the offices across the tourism network will be to provide high quality information to visitors, and to work closely with tourism related businesses of all kinds, helping them to grow by linking them directly with national and local marketing and quality strategies, and by offering commercially attractive marketing and other opportunities. These offices will have delegated powers and budgets to respond to circumstances in their own areas, and at least 80% of industry engagement by VisitScotland will be delivered through them. Another very important network activity will be the strengthening of local partnerships, especially with local authorities. The wholehearted support of local authorities will continue to be needed for tourism to grow in every part of Scotland, and they will be closely involved in tourism decision making at local and national level. The partnership activity of the network will be focussed through the development for each area of an Area Tourism Plan in collaboration with local partners meeting regularly as an Area Tourism Partnership; local authorities will have strong representation on these bodies and on the proposed city convention bureaux.

  I know that there is a concern about retaining good, knowledgeable ATB staff in the new structure, and about potential redundancies. The tourism network project is committed to open and fair treatment of all staff. Because we are building on the strengths of the existing ATBs, VisitScotland plan, subject to funding continuing to be available from local authorities, to transfer staff into the new network in April 2005 on terms and conditions (including pension rights) no less favourable than those which they currently enjoy.

Wildlife

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive,  further to the answer to question S2W-4835 by Allan Wilson on 9 January 2004, whether the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement has now been fully implemented in Scotland and what the reasons are for the position on the matter.

Lewis Macdonald: The Environmental Protection (Restriction on Use of Lead Shot) (Scotland) (No.2) Regulations 2004 (SSI 2004/358)  have been laid before Parliament with the intention that they should come into force on 31 March 2005. These Regulations will fulfil an obligation under the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) to phase out the use of lead shot over wetlands.

  The implementation of other obligations under AEWA relating broadly to species and habitat conservation, management of human activity, research and monitoring, education and information is on-going.